My Spice Sage: Web's Economical Spice Source

My nearly neat spice cabinet, filled with spices from "My Spice Sage"

            (Note: This review is based on my experience as a consumer with the web store mentioned in this article. I neither work for nor have I received any form of compensation for writing this article.) 

            When serving mild-tasting fish, such as cod or tilapia, spices make the difference between your taste buds being gently roused or irrevocably thrilled. Stocking up on supermarket spices is expensive, and often the variety is lacking. I've discovered a source for spices that will help the frugal seafood lover to collect spices and flavor-boosting implements for an array of tastes and occasions. 

My Spice Sage 

            Growing in popularity and visibility, My Spice Sage (www.myspicesage.com), is not only a place to buy spices, but it's also a place to learn about the history and lore, health benefits, and storage requirements for hundreds of spices at the site's "Spice Education 101" page. Besides the spice education, the prices are reasonable because your spices arrive in resealable bags, so the cost of packaging is lower. The products are available in bulk quantities as well, which helps to lower the prices. I purchased a few of their fillable spice bottles, but they weren't as economical as the spices. (Crate and Barrel's "Oval, Clamp-Top" Spice Jars are attractive, cheap, and shipping was free.)

The Spice Blends

            My Spice Sage has a tantalizing collection of spice blends that can set a cook's imagination ablaze. I love their Seafood Seasoning blend, which can turn a tasteless piece of tilapia into layers of tangy, mildly peppery flavor. Their Seafood Seasoning includes celery seed, white pepper, ginger, ground bay leaves, paprika and other seasonings that are generally known as "Chesapeake Bay Seasoning." The blend, according to My Spice Sage, originated in Baltimore. That's another thing I like about this spice source: they include the origin of the spices and spice blends. The number of spice blends available on this site is staggering. For example, there are seasoning blends for barbeque, fried chicken, pizza, burritos, and pies--just to list a few.

Stock-Up Potential

            The potential to stock-up or start your first spice collection is high with this web store. My new kitchen was just completed and I had a dedicated spice drawer. For once, I wanted to have everything I needed on hand. I purchased one- to four-ounce bags of spices, mindful that I didn't want to keep the spices for more than six months (at which point they begin to lose potency). Caterers or restaurant owners, however, can buy bulk spices up to 50 pounds. My Spice Sage applies a discount for amounts over one ounce. In addition, the company lets shoppers choose a free one-ounce spice with every order, and offers an additional four-ounce spice for a minimal order (currently $20.00). The free gifts and offers helped me to fill my spice cabinet faster.

            The My Spice Sage website is among the most cook-friendly sites I've seen, organizing spice offerings by name, type of cuisine, taste and aroma, popularity, and type of food (for matching spices to food). This feature is especially helpful to home cooks who want to create or recreate specific flavors and to season food with confidence. 

Packaged herbs and spices from "My Spice Sage"

Packaging, Shipping, and Delivery

          Here I must be honest with my readers and say that the packaging from My Spice Sage has not always been perfect. I have placed six orders with the company and two of the orders had issues: one order was missing an item and another order arrived with a damaged bag and spilled contents. Each time, the company worked quickly to resolve the problem and replace the missing or damaged spices. Shipping and delivery were never a problem as the items I ordered arrived in three or four days. 

            My Spice Sage appears to be dedicated to serving home cooks and chefs alike. The sheer number of spices and spice blends on the site make shopping fun, educational, and even entertaining (i.e. personal stories and recipes from customers). Having a source that offers economical spices helps cooks to be more creative and to have spices and flavorings at the ready for memorable meals.